Issue 2 by The Pen Newspaper

VOL. XXXIX ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 19, 2018

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL www.pvphsnews.com

POWERING OFF Committee introduces new school cell phone policy OPINION PAGE 5

CYBER SUITS

BLOSSOMING BUTTERFLIES

TIGHTENING THEIR REINS

California sued over net neutrality regulations

Literary magazine receives ASPA award

District forces disbandment of equestrian team

NEWS PAGE 3

STUDENT LIFE PAGE 9

SPORTS PAGE 10

Californians face three major repeals on the November ballot Proposition 6 YASEEN EL-MAGHARBEL

Proposition 6 because he believes SB1 causes an increase in gas prices that might already be unaffordable for some. Proposition 6, if passed, will repeal Senate Bill 1 “I believe that the tax should be repealed,” Hall said. “The (SB1) that was passed by the California government tax seems unnecessary because gas is already expensive. The on Apr. 6, 2017 to put a sales tax on gas and diesel. state of California already makes enough money without it.” According to California’s online legislative database, Supporters of the gas tax argue that it is necessary the goal of SB1 was to raise $5.4 million and invest because it funds projects to repair and improve local roads, that money into improving California’s transportation state highways and public transportation. According to the systems. In order to raise this money, the state National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than increased the price of regular gas by 12 cents and 1600 fatalities occurred on California’s roads in 2016, many diesel by 20 cents. of which are caused by poor road conditions. Some, such as Many that disagree with SB1 oppose the added junior Alayna Kim, believe that California should tax gas. cost to gasoline and diesel. Even though SB1 allocates “Even though taxing may seem a bit too much for people, the tax collected towards improving infrastructure it allows for better public transportation, which allows people for transportation throughout California, it also who cannot afford a car to use public transportation,” Kim raises driving costs. Junior Caleb Hall supports said.

Proposition 7 causes an increase in the use of electricity and fuel, costing California residents a total of $434 million. Those against the proposition cite past occurrences as On Nov. 6, California voters will have the option evidence for maintaining the current daylight saving system. to vote on Proposition 7. If passed, California will no longer participate in daylight saving time, which involves According to Voter Guide, after the 1974 energy crisis advancing clocks during summer months so that evening an emergency full-time daylight saving time was declared daylight lasts longer. However, even if it is passed by the nationwide. It was supposed to last 16 months but ended after 10 months due to public opposition. Those opposed people of California, it must then be approved by both to Proposition 7 claim that maintaining daylight saving the state and federal legislatures. throughout the year could also threaten public safety, as Advocates for Proposition 7 argue that the the sun would rise later in the winter and people would be current daylight saving time period harms the health outside in the dark. of California residents and costs the state additional “I like having daylight saving time to get sleep during the expenditures. According to Voter Guide, medical spring,” junior Lauren Kim said. “I think people are already studies have found that an increase in heart attacks occurs following the fall clock adjustment. The website accustomed to having those two times a year, so it makes sense to keep them.” also claimed that the current daylight saving system

CAITLYN LEE

Proposition 10 DJ PARKER

rachel liu / the pen

Proposition 10, known as the Affordable Housing Act, allows local governments to create rent control policies on any type of rental housing. If passed, the proposition would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which, according to the LA Times, prevents cities from regulating rent. This gives the landlords complete control over how much they charge tenants. In 1994, when the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act was passed, the goal was to encourage the development of more housing, resulting in a fall of rent costs. However, according to Yes on Proposition 10, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act incentivizes landlords to pressure long-term tenants who pay less

than current market rates to move out in order to gain tenants who will pay more. They claim these vacancies cause rent to increase to prices that lower income renters cannot afford, thereby leading to the displacement and gentrification of working class communities. On the other hand, No on Proposition 10 argues that the proposition does little to solve California’s current housing crisis and is inadequate in its attempt to replace the CostaHawkins Rental Housing Act. Dissenters to the proposition believe it approaches the issue incorrectly and does not address affordable housing or homelessness. “I want rent prices as low as possible, but Proposition 10 is not the best way to do that,” sophomore Will Brach said. “It perpetuates the problem by allowing cities to ramp up rates to flush out those who cannot afford the best of the best.”

READY TO VOTE?

alex yoo / the pen

*Polling statistics are according to the Public Policy Institute of California

DJ Parker Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) school board president Dr. Anthony Collatos recently resigned. His term ended in early September, but according to the PVPUSD website, he was originally planning to step down in late 2017. However, he was asked to stay in the wake of former superintendent Don Austin’s resignation at the end of the last school year. He obliged and kept his position throughout the beginning of the 2018 term. According to Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology, in addition to being school board president, he teaches several classes for the Master of Arts in Education with Teaching Credential and Learning Technologies programs. With the approval of Dr. Alex Cherniss as the new superintendent, school board vice president Linda Reid will assume the position of president until Nov. 6, when a new president will be elected. While Collatos is no longer the president of the board, he is still a member, and will remain so until the next election. In a newsletter on the PVPUSD website, Collatos expressed the importance of consistency throughout the search and hiring process, along with his desire for Reid and clerk Suzanne Seymour to lead the district.

CHAIYONT WINS TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD caitlyn lee This year, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club honored 11 teachers through the Palos Verdes Rotary Educator of the Year program. Teachers who work at schools in the Palos Verdes area nominate each other for a chance to win the Educator of the Year award. AP Statistics and Precalculus with Limits teacher Vararat Chaiyont was given the title for the 2018-19 school year. Chaiyont, who has been a part of the Peninsula community for 20 years, has continuously contributed her time and effort toward her students and their success. In addition to teaching her two math classes, she oversees Peninsula’s Math Team, Books Overseas club, Psychology club and Mu Alpha Theta. According to Chaiyont, her desire to make a change in students’ lives inspired her to become a teacher. “When I moved to America from Thailand at age seven, I did not know any English,” Chaiyont said. “I had been learning English on my own until third grade when a teacher finally took the time to help me during lunch and after school. [After] that experience, I aspired to be a teacher.” Despite her responsibilities, ranging from rewriting AP Statistics notes to organizing Math Team competitions, she credits her daily motivation to persevere through the day to her students. “The thing that wakes me up every morning is getting to see my students and the energy that they

news

PVPUSD SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT RESIGNS

have, [as well as] seeing them work and grow academically and as individuals,” Chaiyont said. Junior Chrislyn Tseng took Chaiyont’s AP Psychology class last year and is planning on taking AP Statistics next year. She is also currently in Mu Alpha Theta. “I am at a loss of words to describe how much she has done for me, not only as a teacher to understand me and my work ethic, but also just as a human developing my characteristics,” Tseng said. “She has taught me so much more than just psychology.” Chaiyont believes she has accomplished the majority of her goals in her career. In the next ten years, she hopes to help guide new teachers to become the best teachers they can be, just like her previous mentors had done for her. Senior Albert Tan, who has known Chaiyont since freshman year, believes what sets her apart from other teachers is the compassionate way she treats every one of her students. “She truly cares about her students, whereas in my experience, [some] other teachers treat students as just another student,” Tan said. “However, Mrs. Chaiyont treats them as individuals. If she ever sees a student struggling [in class], she does everything she can to figure out why. She never assumes a student can not do well or that they are not as smart, [instead], she attempts to understand different student’s situations and their specific strengths and weaknesses.”

CALIFORNIA REAFFIRMS NET NEUT RALITY LAWS DESPITE FCC APPEAL alex yoo / the pen

TIFFANY CHA AND AILUN SHI As technology use grows in the U.S., legislation is constantly being passed to maintain the web and uphold the rights and protections of Americans online. From this developed net neutrality, which is the principle that all traffic on the Internet should be treated equally without certain content being favored over others. According to Centre National d’Etudes des Telecommunications, net neutrality protections, which prevent broadband and wireless providers from slowing or blocking Internet traffic, were passed under former president Barack Obama in 2015 by former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Tom Wheeler. However, in June, those protections were repealed by current FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who argued that net neutrality deters innovation and depresses investment in building and expanding broadband networks, which are wide bandwidth data transmission that transport multiple signals and traffic types. According to the Los Angeles Times (LA Times), by removing these protections, Internet service providers (ISPs) can charge their patrons an Internet fee for delivering Internet services faster than competitors can, which can hurt startups and other newly established businesses. Following the repeal, numerous legal challenges were issued by state attorneys general and public interest groups. According to National Public Radio, California’s senate approved Senate Bill 822 (SB822) on Aug. 31, and Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law on Sept. 30. Although many states have passed or are in the process of passing bills to reestablish net neutrality, California’s SB822 enacts the strongest net neutrality protections in the nation according to the LA Times. The law is set to take effect on Jan. 1. “I would rather have net neutrality [than not],” junior Junshik Ham said. “[The] Internet is a free, universal web that [is] shared amongst everyone, no matter what their socioeconomic status alex yoo / the pen

is, [and] net neutrality is essential for fair access [to] the Internet.” According to Forbes, an hour after Brown signed SB 822 into law, the U.S. Department of Justice sued California to invalidate the bill. This was done in accordance with the Constitution’s Commerce Clause and specific statutes which give the FCC primary authority in Internet regulation and forbids a state from interfering with interstate commercial activity. According to Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener, who proposed the California net neutrality law, this is not the first time the California legislature has enacted a state law against federal policy. In March, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions sued California over its sanctuary laws on immigration, which shield immigrants from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but federal courts upheld the legislation in July. Weiner expects that the same will happen in the net neutrality lawsuit. It is still up for debate whether or not net neutrality has made a noticeable impact on an Internet user’s online experience. Sophomore Paulina Garmute feels that the sites she frequents have remained unaltered, nor has the content been disseminated slower, so she feels that the new law has yet to make a significant difference. “I do not think this bill passed by Gov. Jerry Brown will change anything for me because I was not affected in the first place,” Garmute said. “[However], I do think it is important to have them in place, especially in a [technology oriented] state like California.” AP Economics and AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher Len Lyberger believes that it is too early to determine the future of net neutrality protections. “Since the federal government is granted the power to regulate interstate commerce, the state laws could be overturned,” Lyberger said. “[On the other hand], there is a chance that the U.S. Congress could pass a law restoring net neutrality nationally, which would need to be signed by the president, but that has not yet happened. The courts will [have to] decide.”

27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nina Li Emily McGinn MANAGING EDITOR Alison Kim DESIGN EDITOR Connor Tumelty Alex Yoo NEWS EDITOR: Olin Osborne III WRITERS: Amira Belhedi Tiffany Cha Yaseen El-Magharbel Caitlyn Lee DJ Parker Ailun Shi OPINION EDITOR: Liana Korotzer WRITERS: Fiona Andersons Josh Kim Saffy Laurio Alexandra Perez Imogene Tomicic FOCUS EDITORS: Rianne Aguas Asumi Shuda WRITERS: Keila Bara Brianna Cho Kaitlyn Ho Minji Jeun Osame Osayande Fiona Yang STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Chris Guanzing Ana Willoughby WRITERS: Stella Caceres Jacci Engler Helen Huang Kristen Lu James O’Dea Christine Youn SPORTS EDITOR: Anne Lee WRITERS: Jacey Gibaldi Mitchell Lin Aidan Musgrave Tilly Safavian Aidan Sun Casey Syal GRAPHICS Josh Kim Rachel Liu BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Elana Ho Lina Kugaya ADVISER Jaymee Johnson “The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced journalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Advertising Manager Elana Ho at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editor, which are accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or to Jaymee Johnson’s mailbox. Copyright © 2018

Cover Design by Rachel Liu Alex Yoo

FAILED COMMUNICATION THREATENS STUDENT SAFETY Editorial staff With recent concerns over school safety, it has become crucial that students and staff are well aware of the necessary procedures to take in the event of an emergency on campus. Several weeks ago, the fire alarm was triggered by smoke resulting from a chemistry lab experiment. When the alarm sounded and continued to blare, some teachers evacuated with their students while others remained in their classrooms. When the administration announced that the event was a false alarm, teachers and students proceeded throughout the rest of the school day without a second thought. However, if this was an actual emergency, the confusion that we witnessed during this event could have cost lives. Since we started school, many of us have been taught to evacuate immediately at the sound of an alarm by quietly forming a line and following the teacher to a designated evacuation area. This policy follows the guidelines outlined by the National Fire Protection Association. According to Principal Brent Kuykendall, this approach is no longer the protocol. Now, in response to a fire alarm, teachers and students are required to remain in their classrooms and await further instruction from the administration. In light of the many school shootings that have taken place across the country in recent years, this procedure works toward creating a safer environment.

However, the fact that many staff members and students are unaware of these guidelines is a concern that must be addressed. During the recent false alarm, many students and teachers were confused as to what to do. This demonstrates the lack of communication from the administration to the student body and staff members about proper protocol. The administration must inform everyone on campus of the guidelines so that we will be thoroughly prepared in the case of a real emergency. Without practicing these policies, an actual disaster would likely result in complete chaos. Without clear instruction provided to both the staff and students by the administration, even scheduled practice drills throughout the school year are ineffective if the procedures are not accurately followed. On Oct. 11, we participated in a disaster drill during which we went through the full motions of what to do in the event of an earthquake or lockdown. However, many students did not take the drill seriously. They roamed around the football field, leaving the area designated for their class. Furthermore, after taking attendance at the field, some teachers allowed their students to leave their assigned yard line. If students and teachers do not acknowledge the importance of a full drill, they will certainly not view fire alarms as significant. In order to fully understand the measures we should take, we must actively practice the appropriate actions in accordance with the proper policy as well as

hold ourselves accountable to recognizing that drills are not a joke. It should not take an actual fire or other disaster to finally stress that we need to be fully aware of emergency procedures every day when we come to school. The administration must take action immediately to explicitly apprise each person on campus of how they should react to ensure their safety and the safety of others. If the administration fails to actively communicate with us, we will not be prepared, which could lead to lives lost that could have been saved by a simple, seriouslytaken 30 minute practice drill.

alex yoo / the pen

CALIFORNIA LACKS A LONGITUDINAL DATA SYSTEM ON EDUCATION josh kim According to the San Francisco Chronicle, California is one of 12 states that does not support a statewide, longitudinal data system (LDS) that assesses students’ academic accomplishments and personal information to maximize future performance from early education to the workforce. The absence of such a system is irresponsible and perpetuates an education infrastructure that lacks accountability. A data system like the one described should be expeditiously integrated into the California education system in hopes of optimizing academic success and future opportunities for students. “[The fact that] California’s academic ranking compared to other states [was] 37 out of 50, the lack of an expansive data system explains a lot,” senior Stanley Liu said. “I firmly believe that since this system does not exist, academic progress is not being optimized.” Despite growing support for an LDS, the education establishment and its political allies are vehemently against this system because of the wide scope of potential collected data that could be misused and its ability to dismantle previous legislation that the establishment had supported. In 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown, a predominant dissenter of an LDS, signed into law the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), a piece of legislation that grants school districts autonomy in allocating their provided state

funding. A byproduct of the LCFF is that many districts are not held accountable for irresponsible spending habits. An LDS would provide the accountability needed to maintain appropriate district spending, dismantling the LCFF, one of Brown’s major legislative achievements. Other opponents of the proposed system state

“

I firmly believe that since this system does not exist, academic progress is not being optimized. -senior stanley liu

“

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL

that data collected through this system could be potentially misused for purposes other than improving student performance. However, this data collection system could be designed with integrated parameters that restrict the collection of certain data that may be classified as confidential. “It is immoral that the LCFF is obstructing a clearly better system,” junior Aeris Ma said. “A system that affords transparency should be supported by

legislative efforts in hopes [of maximizing] students’ success.” Although there has been a need for an interconnected database for years now, there has recently been increasing public support for changes to the education system. An LDS would be able to aggregate data around students’ testing choices, standardized testing scores and college readiness variables that would be vital for policymakers to formulate plans to further improve students’ accomplishments. With reasonable restrictions that prohibit the collection of confidential, personal student information, an LDS would prove to be a vital and efficient system that would enhance the future performance of students within the classroom and beyond its walls to the workforce. Additionally, while assessing students’ progress, the data could illustrate the performance of individual school districts and the effectiveness of district spending habits. With the potential to better education practices and to increase schools’ spending accountability, an LDS would improve California’s institution of education as a whole for the foreseeable future. “I think that invaluable data can be uncovered by a longitudinal data system that could benefit future academic achievements in the classroom,” AP U.S. Government and Politics and AP Economics teacher Len Lyberger said. “This data could be used to show districts how and where to target their resources and optimize performance among students.”

New cell phone policy causes controversy among students alexANDRA perez

we would be looking at them too,” Algebra 2 teacher Linda Kurt said. Teachers argue that they should be allowed to confiscate phones because if they have already established their classroom cell phone policies and a student still decides to use his or her phone, the student is the one at fault. Students should respect and uphold a teacher’s personal classroom guidelines and, in turn, a teacher should not infringe upon the student’s right to their private property, which is violated by the confiscation of cell phones. “I think every teacher has to find a policy that creates a productive and positive dynamic in their classroom,” Algebra 2 and Aerospace Engineering teacher Emily Mellquist said. “However, I personally do not think that just taking a student’s phone is the best solution when it comes to these types of situations.” Instead of resorting to the seizure of phones, teachers should instate a consequential system in which students will receive a referral or deduction of points if they violate a teacher’s cell phone policy. This would be a fair solution because teachers would not have to deal with issues that may arise from taking away phones and students who violate the policy would be held responsible for their actions. “I do not think that it is right [for] the teacher to be able to grab a student’s phone,” junior Eujin Oh said. “[Other than] it being an invasion of our privacy, it can also [create] a rift in the relationships between students and teachers, which just results in [an overall] negative class environment.”

JOSH KAHEN / the pen

On Sept. 19, Principal Brent Kuykendall introduced a new cell phone policy that allows teachers to take away a student’s phone without consent if the student is using it in class or if it is on the student’s desk. In the past, there was no official cell phone rule. Teachers could only report to the office on instances when a student was disruptive, and the student would then receive a verbal warning or a referral based on the severity of the disruption. Due to the teachers’ frustration with the old system, a cell phone committee was formed to create a clearer policy. The new rule states that if a teacher has already made his or her personal classroom rules on cell phones clear and a student has his or her phone out or uses it, the teacher can simply take the student’s phone and keep it until the end of the period. While every teacher’s individual cell phone policy in the classroom should be abided by whether they restrict cell phone use at all times or are more lenient when it comes to having a device out, teachers should not be able to simply snatch a student’s phone at their own volition. Each teacher implements his or her own set of rules when it comes to cellular devices, and if a teacher explicitly states that he or she does not want students to have their phones out, students should respect that rule and keep their phones in their backpacks. That being said, a student’s cell phone is not public property and teachers should not be allowed to confiscate a phone any time they see it out. Many students keep

confidential material such as addresses, credit card information and passwords on their phones. While many teachers would not go through a student’s phone, incidents such as this have happened at other high schools and should be considered a potential problem. There are also liability issues that come with the teacher’s right to take a phone. For example, if a student’s phone were to crack or break while in a teacher’s possession, it would be a problem in itself just to ascertain who would be responsible for the restoration of the phone. Issues such as a cracked phone while in a teacher’s hands or even the fact that a teacher took it in the first place could also lead to unwanted altercations in the classroom. “If a teacher takes a phone and if it were to break, it would be [that teacher’s] fault,” junior Brian Lee said. “It was [the teacher’s] decision to take the phone, and [he or she] should be held accountable for whatever happens to it under [his or her] watch.” While liability and privacy issues pose concerns to whether this policy should be legal or not, it is understandable why the administration wants to enforce stricter policies. Cell phones are a major distraction in a learning environment, and according to the Harvard Business Review, just the presence of a cell phone slows productivity and disrupts focus. “[Some teachers] were concerned that we could not do our best job [teaching] because [students] were so easily distracted, yet we understood the distraction because if our phones [were] next to us,

opinion

CALLING ALL CELL PHONES

iat

io n

2 percent of high school athletes receive scholarships annually* or d

in g

to t

he Nat

t hl ional Collegiate A

A e t ic

s so

Josh Kim / the pen

SENIOR ATHLETES ACCEPT COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS keila bara, brianna cho, kaitlyn ho and minji jeun As seniors begin to decide which college they want to attend, some have committed to specific schools through athletic scholarships. Seniors Akin Akinwumi and Ariana Bucur, both members of the Peninsula varsity volleyball teams, have been recognized and recruited by schools across the country for their athletic skills. Akinwumi has been playing volleyball since he was 12 years old. He has been a member of the volleyball team since his freshman year, and he is currently a club volleyball player for Team Rockstar Volleyball Club. Recently, he was recognized by Pepperdine University, where he will attend on a scholarship in August 2019. Akinwumi believes that attending this school will allow him to focus on not only his sport but also his education. “I wanted to go to a school with good academics and a good volleyball program, and Pepperdine offers both,” Akinwumi said. “I am not sure if I want to play volleyball professionally, as that depends on my college career. I want to see how that goes first.” Those who have witnessed his athletic journey are confident in his abilities, including varsity girls’ and boys’ volleyball coach Kevin Williams, who expressed his faith in Akinwumi’s skill and focus on

the court. “When I found out about his scholarship, I was excited for him because I knew it was coming,” Williams said. “I played Division I myself so I understand what it takes. Akinwumi works hard in [succeeding] with his given strength, height and agility.” Williams believes that through his experience, training and participation in club volleyball, Akinwumi will thrive in his athletic career in college. “I think that he could even play at an Olympic level if he keeps working at it,” Williams said. “We use a training program called Volt which is what some colleges use, so he will definitely be prepared. He also plays for a more elite club so he is definitely ready for college.” Bucur was also recognized by multiple colleges for her talent in volleyball. In May, she committed to playing volleyball at New York University (NYU) starting in the 2019-20 school year. “I was approached by four other schools: Dartmouth University, Georgetown University, Harvard University and Wesleyan University,” Bucur said. “None of them [seemed like a good fit], and NYU [was] the obvious choice because I just felt amazing while I was [visiting].” Bucur has played volleyball since seventh grade, both on school teams and on a club team at

Mizuno Long Beach Volleyball Club. On average, she practices about 25 hours a week. Those who have watched her grow both in the sport and as a person, such as junior and fellow teammate Imagen Munkhbayar, were not surprised to hear that Bucur had been scouted by multiple schools. “[Bucur] has always been a hard worker and has natural leadership abilities,” Munkhbayar said. “She has great skill in [providing verbal encouragement] to the team. She definitely earned [her position at NYU].” Williams has coached Bucur throughout her entire high school volleyball experience, and, like Akinwumi, he has encouraged and mentored her. “I am really excited and happy for her,” Williams said. “She worked exceptionally hard [to get scouted]. She is such a great student and athlete and really epitomizes what it means to be a studentathlete.” Bucur and Akinwumi both prioritize and dedicate time and effort to volleyball, and they hope to continue to excel in their athletic careers at their respective future universities. “You have to put your head down and keep working,” Bucur said. “[Sleep, school and friends] are going to be hard to maintain, but if you sacrifice everything for a few years, [it will be worth it in the very end].”

focus

KELLY NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL osame osayande and fiona yang Senior and filmmaker Caitlyn Kelly was selected to participate in the All American High School Film Festival from Oct. 5 to 8 in New York City. Her documentary “what exactly IS in a tampon?” advocates for the use of organic tampons and informs consumers about the risks that come with using synthetic tampons. “I saw an advertisement about organic tampons, which inspired me to research more [about the topic], and I eventually made a documentary about it,” Kelly said. “[The advertisement was] from a company called LOLA that advocates for organic [and cotton] tampons because there are a lot of [harmful substances] in regular tampons that [people do not know about].” Kelly’s interest in filmmaking began in seventh grade when she took a broadcast journalism class. She enjoyed the idea of creating a story with her videos, so she joined the Advanced Video Production class freshman year and has been participating in it ever since. Her mother Jenny Kelly has been supportive of Kelly’s love for filmmaking over the years. “[Filmmaking] has helped her interact and meet

new people [who] she would not have met on her own,” Jenny Kelly said. “When she told me she got nominated for the festival, I was so excited and proud of her. It [was] like going to the high school Oscars.” She originally made the film for Peninsula’s Advanced Video Production class taught by Advanced Video Production, Drama and Broadcast Journalism teacher Seth Cohen. Upon seeing the finished project, Cohen was extremely supportive of the message behind her film. “Any time you are presenting a documentary about hidden health risks, [it] gets the audience to think twice about their bodies and the products they are using,” Cohen said. Cohen also understands how dedicated Kelly is to filmmaking, and he felt that she clearly displayed her effort and passion for video production through this project. He was impressed by her independent and driven nature when he saw how well she handled the research for the film. “[As] a very passionate and thoughtful filmmaker, the material that [ Kelly] has produced over the past two years has been very deep, and she takes each assignment very seriously,” Cohen said. “She is always striving to tell an interesting

story, whether it be a narrative or a documentary project. Her strong work ethic also helps her execute [any] project really well.” Upon hearing the news, Kelly and her family were excited and surprised, knowing that this selection would be a milestone in her filmmaking career. “It was just a lazy Sunday for me [while] I was scrolling through my emails, [until] I found out that my film was [chosen] for the festival,” Kelly said. “I was so happy.” As someone who sees filmmaking as an outlet for her creativity, Kelly is excited to continue exploring the field of video production. She aspires to become either a director or a cinematographer. For now, Kelly hopes her film will inform her audience about the health risks associated with synthetic tampons and encourage them to view organic tampons as a viable alternative. “Some people may find the film embarrassing, [and] others may feel uncomfortable and watch it with some nervous laughter,” Jenny Kelly said. “But I hope that they [not only feel inspired to change to organic tampons], but also learn something important from the film [just like Caitlyn wanted].”

894 students participated in the festival** A ** cc

or d

in g

to a

l l A me

r i c a n hi g h s c h o o

l f il

t fes

iva

RIDE THE TIDE

Junior Noam Elroi competes in outrigger canoeing

Kristen lu and christine youn

rachel liu / the pen

Since the age of 12, junior Noam Elroi has competed in outrigger canoeing. Outrigger canoeing uses boats that feature one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to the body of the boat and allows it to sail in rough ocean water. Competing both individually and with a six-man team from the Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club in Redondo Beach, Elroi has traveled to various locations around the world, including Hawaii and Tahiti, to compete, and has consistently placed in the top five at competitions. At the age of seven, Elroi was introduced to sailing, which led to an interest in paddleboarding and then outrigger canoeing. Outrigging had a greater appeal than other water sports he tried particularly because of its emphasis on speed. “[When] I [tried outrigging for the first time], I loved it,” Elroi said. “The best part is the surfing. Because [the waves] are long and fast, you can surf miles out where there is [ocean] swell, and you can go fast.” Competitions entail racing over lengthy distances that vary with the season. During the six-man team competition season, Elroi and five other juniors from different schools compete in roughly 10-mile races in the Open Division despite the standard 18 to 29-yearold age range for this category. During the individual season, Elroi competes in approximately 20-mile races. Currently, Elroi is training for the Distance World Championships in Australia that will take place in April 2019. To compete at top-tier international competitions, the team spends a considerable amount of time training during the school year. “We train at a pretty high level,” Elroi said. “We [practice] all year round, anywhere from four to seven times a week depending on the season. I [try to]

balance school and paddling, [but] sometimes it does not work out. When I have too much homework, I [would rather train during the day and] stay up late doing homework.” According to teammate Keoni Rohrbach, the team’s successes can be partially attributed to their participation in the activity from an early age. “Our team has been very successful since we were all young,” Keoni Rohrbach said. “We have basically always been the top junior team in [the Southern California Outrigger Association]. The [required teamwork] of the sport [has] challenged us together as a team.” Teammate Blake Rohrbach believes that Elroi plays a pivotal role in the team’s progress. They have known each other for a long period of time and he has seen Elroi grow as an outrigger. “[Elroi] has been an amazing teammate as well as a challenging [competitor],” Blake Rohrbach said. “A very valuable strength that he has is grit [as well as] amazing mental strength. When the odds are against him, he always finds the fire inside of himself to push through.” Elroi’s mental strength is especially necessary for long-distance races during which exhaustion is the primary obstacle. “[Having] to keep on going [in long-distance races] is the hardest part [of outrigging],” Elroi said. “You are dizzy, you can barely feel your arms [and other] things [can] go wrong when you are paddling for that long.” Elroi feels that participating in outrigging has impacted his life positively as he was able to meet and learn from a diverse group of people, especially the members of Lanakila. “Our club is the biggest club in California [with] 300 people,” Elroi said. “[The] motto that we live by is ‘include everyone’, and I feel like [Lanakila] is my biggest family. I have learned so much from all the people there.”

Rachel liu / the pen

Stella Caceres Peninsula’s student literary magazine, Beard Full of Butterflies, entered the annual nationwide contest held by the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) at the end of the 2017-18 school year and received first place in the magazine category. The competition provides participating magazines with advice on page design, story layout, graphics, headlines, cover design, advertising placement and photography. Each magazine is given a score between zero and 15 on creativity, design, graphics and story layouts. The highest composite score is awarded first place. The winning magazine is given a certificate and a written review with suggestions and encouragement for the staff from the committee of judges. Senior and co-editor-in-chief Mei Johnson was proud of the 201718 issue because it thoroughly displayed students’ artistic abilities. The magazine had received more submissions than in any of the previous years, so the staff felt this issue represented a wider variety of students. Poetry is common among the submissions, but in this issue, they also received less common forms of entries such as sculptures, ceramic pieces and speeches from Walk for Life, Peninsula’s annual fundraiser for cancer. “The biggest thing I am proud of this year is the diversity of submissions,” Johnson said. “It added variety to the magazine, and I felt that when you read it that way, it had more of a fresh feeling. The diversity also showed that we are more than just a science, technology, engineering and math school. Many students submitted things that were unexpected, and it is nice to see the range of talent our students have.” English teacher and literary magazine adviser Betsy Okamoto has

worked with the literary magazine for 12 years and was proud of the award given to the 2017-18 staff. The staff works in her classroom and she helps them with printing and submitting the magazine to the ASPA. For the 2017-18 magazine, the staff worked extra hours to create a magazine that truly represented Peninsula. “I loved the issue and the staff last year, specifically my editors,” Okamoto said. “They were an amazing group of young adults [who were] talented writers and artists. They were visionaries, and I absolutely adored working with them. This year’s staff worked closely with them and they know what is expected of them. Every year, the staff tweaks it to their class and ultimately adds to the magazine as a whole.” Senior and co-editor-in-chief Karina Remer appreciated the fact that the magazine addressed topics that are not normally considered the most comfortable subject matter to discuss. There were a large amount of submissions involving tragedy and mental health, and she felt that addressing these topics in an artistic form strengthened the magazine. Remer respected the students’ willingness to open themselves up and allow their voices to be heard. “The best part of the issue was the content,” Remer said. “Reading the magazine was rewarding because of how much creativity and thought was put into it.” Johnson is excited for this year’s magazine because she believes the students have much to offer. She is grateful the magazine provides a platform for students to express themselves. “Our magazine is a great way to showcase the range of talent here at Peninsula,” Johnson said. “It gives readers the opportunity to hear students outside of the classroom.”

Student life

PENINSULA’S LITERARY MAGAZINE RECEIVES AWARD

Attention aspiring artists: Want your art featured in our newspaper?

Join the Graphics Team ofThe Pen ! Drop by H52 or email thepennews@gmail.com for more information.

Join The Pen 2018-19 Staff! Come to H52 and get your application packet now! 9

PENINSULA’S EQUESTRIAN TEAM DISBANDS jacey gibaldi and mitchell lin Starting this school year, Peninsula’s equestrian team has disbanded. The district made the decision to disband the equestrian teams at both Peninsula and Palos Verdes High School (PVHS) earlier in 2018 due to fears concerning safety and liability after a horseback rider at PVHS fell off her horse and suffered from a concussion. Overall, the team feels that it was unfortunate that they had to disband, particularly because the school was not heavily involved in the team’s affairs to begin with. Each rider covered her own finances and paid for lessons with private trainers without any funding from the school. Because of this, the team believes that the district did not have the right to make such a large decision regarding the team. Despite their disappointment, team members took no action against the district regarding the disbandment because they plan to continue to ride outside of school individually. However, the team was still surprised and confused by the district’s actions. “It was our choice to go horseback riding,” junior Nina Hietala said. “I did not see any reason why the district chose to do what they did. It was so out of the blue.” Hietala had been on the team since her freshman year of high school. She especially enjoyed the environment and sense of community that the school’s equestrian team provided for her and her teammates. “Everyone checked up on each other and

looked after one another,” Hietala said. “It was a pretty small, tight-knit group, which you [do not] really see at [Peninsula] often.” Junior Olivia Gray, who joined the team in her freshman year, has developed a strong connection with the sport, the team and the animals. She does not plan to let the district’s decision to disband the team prevent her from continuing to pursue her love for horseback riding. Gray strongly disagrees with the disbandment and believes that it is unjust because many other sports such as football and baseball allowed at Peninsula are just as, if not more, dangerous. “This makes absolutely no sense because we practice off campus and do not interact with the school at all during training,” Gray said. “[Other sports] are just as dangerous. Horseback riding is different because besides finding success through hard work in this sport, you can also find friendship. I can truly say my horse is my best friend, and I doubt anything will ever change that.” Junior Mishal Syed expressed her displeasure with the team’s disbandment because she felt that it took away her opportunity to pursue her passion in a competitive setting. “[I am] unhappy about [the disbandment] because I got to spend a lot of time with my teammates before [and now I cannot],” Syed said. “They were some of the nicest people I have ever been around. I just hope everyone continues to ride and compete.”

ads (11)

Junior olivia gray rides her horse and jumps over an obstacle. While the team has disbanded, Gray continues to ride and compete outside of school. photo courtesy of olivia gray

[

sports

A WATER MARK IN WATER POLO HISTORY

]

Varsity boys’ water polo triumphs at the Western Tournament

tilly safavian and casey syal The varsity boys’ water polo team won first place at the Western Tournament, which took place on Sept. 14 at Kennedy High School and Sept. 15 at Garden Grove High School. This was the first time that the team has participated in the tournament, beating Segerstrom High School, Trabuco Hills High School, Cleveland High School and Kennedy High School, and made their way to the top. Peninsula won the first three rounds; however, the team faced an uphill battle as they trailed Kennedy High School by a few points in the fourth quarter of the final game of the tournament. Led by seniors and varsity co-captains Luke Martin and Cole Allyn, the nine-man team rallied back and emerged victorious. Allyn believes that the team’s mentality was the key to their success. “What led us to victory was that we played as a team,” Allyn said. “We really played our hearts out and left it all in the pool.” Water polo coach Bryan Weaver is also proud of the team for their performance, especially with the pressure they faced in the last match of the tournament. “It was nice that we overcame adversity in the final match,” Weaver said. “Our guys stayed calm and rose to the occasion.” Martin believes the team’s experience is one of the reasons why they were able to fight back and perform well. Since most of the boys have been part of the varsity team since their freshman or sophomore year, they have had years of experience playing together as teammates. According to Martin, this experience lessened their nervousness during the tournament and allowed the boys to play to their full potential. Allyn and Martin have also worked together to come up with many new offensive strategies this year, and these plays have contributed to their success since the beginning of the season. The team members feel that they

are performing much better this season compared to previous years, and they hope to carry the momentum from this most recent win into CIF play at the end of the season. Weaver believes that adding more competitions such as the Western Tournament to their team’s schedule has helped them improve. Water polo tournaments expose the players to more teams in the area, which helps them practice their strategies in a competitive environment. When facing a new team, the boys have to adapt to new styles of play and create strategies to help them win in different scenarios. This practice helps the boys improve, and Weaver believes the team’s tournament performance is a good indicator of what they need to focus on during practice. Based on Weaver’s observations, the team will incorporate more swimming sets during practice to ensure that they have the stamina necessary for long games in the postseason. “We learn some of our weaknesses and what we need to work on by playing other teams,” Weaver said. “That gives me a direction of what to practice.” Despite being in a stressful position in the final game, the team was victorious in the end and was proud of their performance. Furthermore, the first place victory at the Western Tournament has changed the team’s expectations for the rest of the season. “Winning the Western Tournament really boosted the confidence of our underclassmen and led us to believe we could beat any team out there,” senior Avion Akhavan said. “The freshmen gained experience and since Western, we have continued to play well.” Following the victory, the team has kept up the momentum, placing fifth in the Diamond Bar Tournament and fourth in the Ocean View Tournament. They also won in small private games against Chadwick School, El Segundo High School and Montebello High School.

What led us to victory was that we played as a team. We really played our hearts out and left it all in the pool. -SENIOR cole allyn

Aren Aune and Kyle MasUguchi

ads